A weakness in Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough FC could soon compel Steve Gibson to take action.

The most recent chapter in a season filled with errors was written at Bramall Lane on Wednesday night,

leaving Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick navigating a precarious situation.

Middlesbrough has now won three of their previous 14 games across all competitions after Boro’s

3-1 loss to Sheffield United, who are vying for automatic promotion. Supporters’ annoyance is starting to get out of hand.

The Blades dominated the Teessiders in the first half, and the only reason the game wasn’t out of

Boro’s grasp at halftime was because of Mark Travers’s several astute saves.

Unfortunately, it would be in the end, as goals from Anel Ahmedhodzic and Ben Brereton Diaz

gave the home team the three points, although Travers and Rav van den Berg helped stop two more goals in the second half.

Middlesbrough’s defense had to be strong, practical, and well-planned on that particular night. They weren’t,

reconsidering what the future holds in the Boro dugout.

Given Middlesbrough’s defensive record under Michael Carrick, his job may be seriously questioned.

After 31 games this season, Middlesbrough has now given up three more goals at Bramall Lane,

bringing their total number of goals given up in the Championship to 42.

According to FotMob (as of 13/02/25), Carrick’s team presently sits ninth in the league for clean sheets with

nine and 15th worst for goals conceded per game average of 1.4. That is obviously insufficient for a squad

that has recruited and is projected to finish in the playoffs.

The term ‘football heritage’ was first used years ago by José Mourinho, the manager of Manchester United at the time,

to describe the Red Devils’ poor Premier League performance and frequent failures in the transfer market.

It also holds true for Carrick’s Middlesbrough.